Dragon Girl
by Satan'sPixie
Summary: Yugi's cousin moves to Domino but she doesn't get along with Kaiba, now Yugi's friend, as she looks like Kisara. But her rocky past starts to catch up with her, putting her in danger. What will Kaiba do to help? SKxOC rating for language and other things
1. Chapter 1

_**Dragon Girl**_

_Hey, this story is a SKOC pairing, something which I haven't done in a while. Some of the ideas for this story are based on my own personal experiences. Some details of the YGO characters have been changed to fit in with my story._

_This is very loosely a Kaiba and Kisara pairing, basically my OC was Kisara in a past life. The main differences between her and Kisara, apart from attitude, is the hair colour for reasons I'll explain later._

_I apologise if part of this story seems odd, I was half drunk while I wrote part of it._

_I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, if I did then I'd keep Kaiba all to myself._

_**SK**_

**Name:** Elizabeth Brynna Oakley Roberts

**Age:** 20

**Height:** 5'7"

**Hair Colour:** Blue-black, turns electric blue in certain lights and at other times (they're a surprise I'm afraid)

**Eye Colour:** Blue-green

**Nationality:** ½ Welsh, ½ English

_**SK**_

_**Chapter 1**_

"Yeah, you may think that I'm a zero

But, hey, everyone you wanna be

Probably started off like me

You may say that I'm a freakshow (I don't care)

But, hey, give me just a little time

I bet you're gonna change your mind" From '_**Loser Like Me**_' by the _**Glee**_ cast

Elizabeth Roberts, or Lizzie Roberts as she preferred to be called, was stood in the queue for the check-in desk at Newcastle Airport. Her Aunt Anne was stood next to her while her Uncle Steven and cousin, Harry, were parking the car; pretty soon she'd reached the front of the queue and began the checking in process.

"Did you pack your bag yourself?" The check-in desk assistant asked, a friendly smile on her face as she handed Lizzie her passport back.

"Yes." Lizzie replied with a nod and an answering smile.

"Are you carrying any of these items?" The woman asked, pointing to a list of contraband items.

"Nope." Lizzie grinned, excitement starting to well up. The woman behind the check-in desk, satisfied with Lizzie's answers finished the process and handed the boarding pass to Lizzie.

"Boarding is in Gate 5 at 7:20 pm. Enjoy your flight." She smiled.

"Thanks, I will." Lizzie smiled in reply as she and her aunt walked off to meet her uncle and cousin. They all walked her to the security checks before hugging her goodbye.

"Call us as soon as you land." Anne said, slightly tearful.

"I will, I promise." Lizzie replied, tears starting to fill her own eyes.

"It's not fair! How come Lizzie gets to go to Japan and I don't!" Harry moaned.

"I'm moving there Har, it's not a holiday. Besides, you all will have to visit me _**sometime**_, so you'll get to go to Japan then." Lizzie smiled, trying (and failing) to give Harry a hug. He was 13 and so just at that age where it's not cool to be hugged.

"Don't forget you're getting picked up when you land." Steven said, hugging her as well.

"I know Uncle Steven, don't worry. I'll be fine. I've got to go now, if I don't then I won't get through the security checks in time for boarding." She smiled, hugging them all one last time (finally managing to catch Harry). She then joined the queue for the security checks and, as her hand luggage and person was checked, she waved goodbye to her family. Once the checks were finished and she'd been cleared, she walked through to departures; because she was flying business class, she could wait in the business lounge before going to the gate.

It seemed like she'd hardly been there long before she had to go to the gate and wait with the other passengers. Just as she was about to board the plane, her iPhone vibrated, indicating she had a text.

'_Take care and don't forget we love you. Aunt Anne, Uncle Steven and Harry. XXX_' it read, bringing a smile to her face.

'_I love you all too and I'll miss you. Will text you more later as am getting on plane now. XXX_' She sent the reply before turning her phone onto Airplane mode and slipping it back into her pocket. She then handed over her passport and boarding pass to the man on the gate.

As she settled down in her seat in business class, she reminisced about why she was moving to Japan. Her cousin in Japan was a major World dualist (being very good at Duel Monsters) and he was having trouble with the media prying into his personal life. Because Lizzie had done part of a Journalism degree (she'd left it as she really didn't like it), she was the ideal person to know just how much pressure you need to put on the media to get them to leave you alone, she had also gotten a scholarship to study History and Literature at Domino University due to the fact that she played Duel Monsters too and was pretty good at it. While Duel Monsters wasn't really a major phenomenon in the UK, it was a _**big**_ deal in Japan, anyone who could play it, and well, was sought out by universities for any competitions. Her only issue was that she'd become fairly well-known in her own right, so it was likely that once the Japanese press got wind of where she was, they'd end up crowding round her.

Lizzie slept or read for most of the trip, not really paying attention to the guy who was sat next to her; he'd spent most of the trip flirting with her and attempting to get her to date him, possibly due to the fact that she was wearing a short skirt. Luckily one of the Air Hostesses caught his eye so he focused his attentions on her when Lizzie ignored him. She was all too glad to get off the plane, she'd never been a confident flier, it wasn't that she was afraid of it, she just tended to get a bit nervous, mainly when there was turbulence. No doubt an after-effect of watching 'Lost' and the 'Final Destination' movies. Luckily, as she'd sent most of her possessions a few days before, the only luggage she had to collect was her suitcase containing enough clothing for a few days while she unpacked. After collecting that, she hefted her black messenger bag onto her shoulder, placed her black sunglasses on, put the headphones from her iPhone into her ears and pressing play as she walked out of the airport to meet her cousin.

Kaiba stood outside Domino Airport with Yugi Moto, waiting for a person that he'd never met.

"Tell me why I'm stood here again." He asked, scowling slightly at the bright sunshine. Because his work kept him busy he didn't get much chance to spend a lot of time outside, this made him paler than most people but he didn't care.

"Because you're one of my friends, and my cousin's going to be around a lot. The others have all emailed or talked to her on the phone before so you're the only one who hasn't met her." Yugi replied with a sigh. Kaiba had only recently become friends with him which was why he hadn't spoken to Yugi's cousin.

"Yes but…" Kaiba started to argue before he suddenly stopped. Walking towards them, surrounded by journalists, was a fairly tall girl with pale skin and long black hair tied in a high ponytail. She was wearing a short green plaid skirt, a white fitted tank top, fishnet stockings and black high-heeled boots that reached just under her knees. Around her neck was a black leather choker (one that was very similar to the one that Yugi himself wore), she also had numerous bangles on her wrists coloured either royal blue or silver, on her right wrist she also had a plaited leather bracelet with a silver Egyptian eye hanging from it and a leather 'Cullen crest' wristband. On each of her hands she wore three rings, all of them silver but with varying styles and designs. Her eyes were hidden by black sunglasses so Kaiba couldn't see what colour they were or what make-up was on them but he could see that she had scarlet lipstick on. She was carrying a black messenger bag on her right shoulder and she was pulling a black suitcase behind her. She was oblivious to the journalists' questions due to the headphones in her ears.

About 5 foot away, she paused and looked around, seemingly searching for something or someone. Her gaze seemed to settle on Yugi and a massive smile spread across her face.

"Yugi!" She yelled, stopping the music and removing her headphones.

"Lizzie!" Yugi grinned while she made her way towards them. As she reached them, she let go of the handle of her suitcase and gave Yugi a big hug.

"God, it's been to long since I've seen you!" She said, smiling and taking hold of her suitcase again.

"I know! Oh, Lizzie, this is Seto Kaiba, a friend of mine." Yugi babbled, it always surprised Kaiba just how much energy Yugi had.

"Hi." The girl, or Lizzie as Yugi had called her, smiled at him. Kaiba just nodded.

When the press were crowding around her trying to get a quote due to her status as Yugi Moto's cousin. She cut a path through them as she determinedly strode towards the exit to the airport, where she was supposed to be meeting Yugi. She paused briefly to look around in the hopes she'd see him, although she knew it was a long shot due to his height issues. But she had a slight advantage; she was fairly tall anyway, about 5'7", but with an added 4 ½ inch heel from her boots, she ended up just short of 6'0". This meant that she was taller than most Japanese people as the average Japanese man was 5'7 ½" (around her height without heels) while the average woman in Japan was 5'2". Yugi's height issue was that he was well below that average height, he just reached 5'0" (although his hair added a few more inches).

Lizzie saw him stood next to a really tall guy, someone she'd only known through the media's perception of him, Seto Kaiba. One thing that she'd never realised from the media was just how tall he was. He was 6'1", taller than Lizzie in heels even! She remembered that almost every girl at her old school (except her group of friends, they weren't bothered by his fame and money) had all fancied him and wanted, almost to the point of mania, to be his girlfriend. If she was entirely honest, Lizzie thought that he seemed a bit of a git. But if he was friends with her cousin then she thought he couldn't be _**that**_ bad.

"Yugi!" She yelled, stopping the music and removing the headphones from her ears.

"Lizzie!" Yugi grinned back as she walked confidently towards them. When she reached them, she pulled Yugi into a massive hug, although she had to bend down slightly to do so.

"God, it's been to long since I've seen you!" She smiled as she grabbed the handle of her suitcase again.

"I know! Oh, Lizzie, this is Seto Kaiba, a friend of mine." Yugi babbled before gesturing towards Kaiba.

"Hi." She smiled, holding out her hand for him to shake. He looked at it with disdain clear in his facial expression.

"Well don't shake it then!" She snapped irritably. "Bloody Git." She muttered under her breath.

Kaiba glared at her and, to his intense surprise, she glared right back at him.

"Hey, guys, please don't fight!" Yugi said quietly. Lizzie and Kaiba both looked at him but Lizzie's glare softened. Yugi led them to the car outside that he and Kaiba had arrived in, a silvery grey Aston Martin DB9 convertible.

"You brought my car!" Lizzie almost squealed in delight as Yugi tossed her the keys.

"Of course, I thought you'd want to drive it." Yugi smiled in reply before quickly jumping in the back while Lizzie put her suitcase in the boot and her messenger bag in the back with Yugi (although she took her iPhone out of the bag first and put it in her pocket). Kaiba gave him a funny look before sitting in the front passenger seat, while he didn't get along with Lizzie, he quickly realised that it would be more comfortable for him to sit in the front as there was much more leg-room. Lizzie, meanwhile, had put her sunglasses back on. She then started the engine before plugging her iPhone into the sound system and pressing play. '_**Loser Like Me**_' by the Glee Cast started playing and Lizzie started driving back to Yugi's Grandfather's game shop. As she drove, Lizzie sang along with the music, her voice creating a lovely harmony.

While Kaiba would admit that she could sing well, he found her driving to be one of the most terrifying experiences that he'd ever experienced. Her speed easily reached into the 70 mph mark but she always seemed to be perfectly in control.

"That's why I sat in the back." Yugi explained, seeing Kaiba's face pale slightly at Lizzie's driving.

"I wish I had." Kaiba muttered.

"You two are both wusses!" Lizzie grinned, her long black hair blowing behind her in the wind.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Dragon Girl**_

_Hi, so I hope enjoyed the last chapter. So I think I should explain a bit about Lizzie, she's had a pretty rough life and had some really horrible things happen to her but she doesn't like talking about it. She'll allude to them and you might be able to guess but she won't outright tell you what happened._

_The songs that Lizzie sings here can all be found on you tube, '__**Calon Lân**__' is best sung by Katherine Jenkins; the best known version of __**The Elfin Knight**__' is the version sung by Kate Rusby; the best known version of '__**Sosban Fach**__' was sung by Cerys Matthews._

_I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, if I did then I'd keep Kaiba all to myself._

_**SK**_

_**Chapter 2**_

"My best friend gave me the best advice

He said each day's a gift and not a given right

Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind

And try to take the path less travelled by

That the first step you take is the longest stride" From '_**If Today Was Your Last Day**_' by _**Nickelback**_

Kaiba was sat with Yugi and the others in one of the small cafés in Domino's city centre waiting for Lizzie. Yugi had wanted to show her some of the city and for her to meet his friends in person (well, apart from Kaiba as she'd already met him in person but Yugi had wanted to include him anyway) but she was running late. According to Yugi, she'd been seriously jet-lagged so he'd left her to sleep for a bit longer as she apparently wasn't a morning person. After they'd asked the waitress to leave for the 50th time (even though she'd already brought their drinks she kept coming back and flirting with the guys) Mai suddenly looked up.

"Who's that girl?" She asked, looking towards the entrance to the outside seating area. Kaiba instantly recognised Lizzie, although she wasn't wearing heels and her outfit was a bit less daring than the previous day. She was wearing a white dress that reached half an inch above her knees and black gladiator sandals; her hair was tied up in a ponytail with the front few locks curling to frame her face. Her lips were the same shade of red as yesterday and she was wearing the same sunglasses, so Kaiba assumed that she had the same eye makeup on as before as well. Around her neck was a bronze watch on a long chain with a bronze leaf and a rounded piece of rose quartz, her wrists had most of the same bracelets as the day before, she was also wearing the same earrings and rings as before as well. At her side was the same black messenger bag as before as well, causing Kaiba to wonder if she owned any different jewellery or bags.

She walked up to their table and sat down in the spare seat next to Yugi.

"You could have woken me up you know Yug, I wasn't _**that**_ worn out and I wouldn't have killed you." She grinned lifting her sunglasses to reveal the same black eyeliner done in an Ancient Egyptian style ringing her blue-green eyes that seemed to sparkle mischievously. Everyone turned to look at Yugi (although from Kaiba's point of view it was to see how he'd reacted to Lizzie's statement).

"Yug?" Mai asked raising one of her eyebrows, she was the only one able (or willing) to comment as all the guys except Kaiba were staring with their mouths open.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Yugi said as he turned bright red. This caused Lizzie to laugh.

"I'd better put Yugi out of his misery, I'm Lizzie. By the way boys, stop staring and take a picture, it lasts longer!" She smirked slightly.

"How can _**you**_ be related to Yugi? I mean, you're gorgeous!" Tristan gaped, he sometimes had a bit of a brain-to-mouth-filter problem. His comment caused Lizzie to laugh again.

"I'm not _**that**_ pretty. Yugi's mother was my father's cousin, the relationship between us is a bit more distant than first cousins but we tend to simplify it for ease." She explained with a smile. With a chuckle Yugi pushed a tall latte towards her.

"Here, I got you a latte Lizzie." He said.

"Thanks Yug, this is why you're my favourite cousin! You always remember my need for coffee!" She grinned before taking a sip.

As she did so, the bangles on her right wrist slid down, revealing a small black mark on her arm.

"Oh my God! Is that a tattoo?" Serenity gasped, in Kaiba's opinion she was a rather wet personality.

"Yeah, it's an Eye of Horus. I'm rather fond of Ancient Egyptian history so I got a couple of tattoos to express that." Lizzie replied, taking another sip of her coffee.

"You've got more than one?" Mai asked, looking interestedly at the Egyptian eye tattooed on Lizzie's wrist.

"Yeah, I've got the Eye of Horus as you've seen, an Ankh on my left calf near my ankle and a Welsh dragon on my back." Lizzie grinned before showing the other tattoos off. The Ankh had a very tribal theme about it, with leaf shaped swirls in the bottom part and around the top part. The dragon on her back was poised as if in flight with its tongue snaking out from its open jaws, its front left leg was up with its claws outstretched. Underneath it, in a flowing script the words '_Hen Wlad fy Nhadau_' was written. Kaiba noted that the black ink contrasted strongly with her pale skin but not in an unattractive way.

"What do the words under the dragon mean?" Bakura asked quietly. Lizzie gave a small smile.

"They mean, '_Land of my Fathers_'. It's the title of the Welsh national anthem." She explained.

"Wales has a national anthem?" Duke asked, surprised.

"Of course, it has it's own flag, national anthem and language; basically it has its own culture. It used to be its own separate country until the English conquered it in 1284." She grinned.

"1284? But that was 727 years ago, surely by now the Welsh should have let that go!" Serenity gaped.

"Not necessarily, I'm guessing you've never been to Wales then," Lizzie paused as Serenity shook her head. "All the signs in Wales are in Welsh with the English translation underneath. And Welsh is still spoken, although granted it is mainly in North Wales which is where my family is from." Lizzie continued.

"It's true, they are. Lizzie pointed them out to me last time I went with her. Actually, she took me to hear some of her other cousins singing. She even joined in at one point." Yugi nodded.

"Really, what did she sing?" Mai asked eagerly.

"I actually sang two, I sang '_Sosban Fach_' and '_Ar Lan Y Môr_'." Lizzie replied, seeing their obvious confusion, she let out a light and melodic laugh.

"They're two Welsh folk songs, in English '_Ar Lan Y Môr_' is called '_Beside the Sea_'. '_Sosban Fach_' doesn't have an English title I'm afraid." She explained her eye twinkling merrily.

As much as he now got on with Yugi, Kaiba really didn't want to have to spend the entire day around his cousin. He couldn't place his finger on it but there was something about her that irritated him, it was possibly her attitude but he couldn't be sure. However, Yugi seemed so happy that his friends and cousin were hanging out together, that Kaiba didn't want to crush his hopes. After a day showing Lizzie around Domino City, they all went back to the Yugi's Grandfather's shop to have dinner (although they'd picked Mokuba up from school first). The meal wasn't what any of Yugi's friends expected as it consisted of a lamb stew, something similar to cheese-on-toast and some type of pancakes. But while they were slightly confused about the meal, Lizzie seemed thrilled.

"Why the mix of foods?" Kaiba asked finally, surprisingly it was Lizzie who explained.

"It's Welsh cuisine. The stew is a kind of Welsh lamb stew called Welsh Cawl which is normally cooked for three days or so. The 'cheese-on-toast' is Welsh Rarebit, and is made using beer and, from the taste I'd suspect a mixture of Caerphilly, y Fenni and Llanboidy cheese, all of them Welsh cheeses. The pancakes are Crempogs, they're a traditional part of a birthday celebration and normally served in a stack with butter." She explained, while helping Yugi and Solomon to dish out the food. All of them were surprised to find that they rather enjoyed the seemingly strange medley of foods.

"Lizzie, would you sing a Welsh folk song for us?" Solomon asked causing Lizzie to laugh.

"No wonder you made my favourites. Alright, just let me get my guitar." She smiled before leaving the room. Shortly after she came back carrying a black Acoustic guitar.

"What song do you want me to sing first then?" She asked.

"Sosban Fach, that's my favourite of yours." Solomon replied instantly, before anyone else could answer.

"Gyda hyfrydwch Taid Solomon." She smiled softly.

"What did she say?" Bakura asked Yugi quietly while she tuned the guitar.

"She said '_With pleasure Grandfather Solomon_'. Lizzie speaks fluent Welsh." Yugi explained quietly.

"Right, I think that's tuned properly." She said finally before playing the intro.

"_Mae bys Mari Ann wedi brifo_

_A Dafydd y gwas ddim yn iach_

_Mae'r baban yn y crud yn crio_

_A'r gath wedi sgrapo Sioni bach_

_Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tan_

_Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr_

_A'r gath wedi sgrapo Sioni bach_

_Dai bach yn sowldiwr_

_Dai bach yn sowldiwr_

_Dai bach yn sowldiwr_

_A gwt ei grys e'mas_

_Mae bys Mari Ann wedi gwella_

_A Dafydd y gwas yn ei fedd_

_Mae'r baban yn y cryd yn ddistaw_

_A'r gath nawr yn cysgu mewn hedd_

_Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tan_

_Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr_

_A'r gath wedi sgrapo Sioni bach_"

To Kaiba's surprise, Lizzie had a light and clear voice which sounded pleasant in song; although he wasn't fond of the mournful air of the song.

"Wow, that was brilliant! Would you sing another one?" Mokuba grinned excitedly causing Lizzie to laugh.

"Sure. This one's called '_The Elfin Knight_'."

"_The Elfin Knight stands on yon hill_

_He blows his horn both loud and shrill_

_He stands so proud and he stands so still_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny o_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny o_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny_

_The Elfin Knight stands on yon land_

_My true love 'ventually I found,_

_Down to the Church then soon we will be bound_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny o_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny o_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny_

_You'll make me a dress with seams of fine thread_

_Make me a garland of flowers for my head_

_Down to the Church, then away we'll go to bed_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny o_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny o_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny_

_The Elfin Knight stands on yon hill_

_He blows his horn both loud and shrill_

_He stands so proud and he stands so still_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny o_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny o_

_Blow winds blow, my bonny_"

The cheerful tune of this song had everyone's feet tapping in time, even Kaiba's even though he tried to hide it. He found that her voice suited the more lively air far better than the sad song.

"Would you sing one more?" Mokuba asked, yawning and cuddling into his older brother. It was obvious to everyone that he was tired.

"Sure. This one's called 'Calon Lân'." Lizzie smiled before playing the intro.

"_Nid wy'n gofyn moethus_

_Aur y byd na'i berlau mân_

_Calon onest, calon lân._

_Calon lân yn llawn daioni_

_Tecach yw na'r lili dlos_

_Does ond calon lân all ganu_

_Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos._

_Pe dymunwn olud bydol_

_Chwim adenydd iddo sydd_

_Golud calon lân rinweddol_

_Yn dwyn bythol elw fydd._

_Calon lân yn llawn daioni_

_Tecach yw na'r lili dlos_

_Does ond calon lân all ganu_

_Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos._

_Hwyr a bore fy hymenia_

_Esgyn ar adenydd cân_

_Ar i Dduw, er mwyn fy Ngheidwad_

_Roddi imi galon lân._

_Calon lân yn llawn daioni_

_Tecach yw na'r lili dlos_

_Does ond calon lân all ganu_

_Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos._"

By the time Lizzie finished singing, Mokuba was fast asleep and the others were in danger of doing so also so they took their leave. On the way back home, Kaiba spent much of his time considering Yugi's cousin. She certainly wasn't what he'd expected from what he knew of Yugi, in fact she seemed more rough around the edges than Yugi. She certainly wasn't intimidated by him, something which he was unsure of his feelings about. Still, she had volunteered to get any journalists off their backs, something he was grateful for as they had begun to get on his nerves. He agreed that she was, as Tristan had put it, gorgeous but her attitude still grated on his nerves, she outwardly seemed so confident and brash but there was something slightly vulnerable about her, something that she refused to let anyone see. The only reason Kaiba had picked up on it was because he was phenomenally good at reading people. All in all, Kaiba felt that having Lizzie around would be an interesting experience.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Dragon Girl**_

_Hi, so I've actually got __**loads**__ of ideas for this story, although hopefully they work together nicely. Btw, sorry about all the Welsh in the last chapter, but like me, Lizzie is half-Welsh and is __**very**__ proud of her heritage I'd really recommend listening to the versions of the songs she sang that I've suggested as they're really lovely._

_Sorry it's taken so long for me to upload, work's been really busy. Anyone who reviews gets cookies! (literally, I'll give you a cookie recipe)_

_Anything you recognise is not mine._

_**SK**_

_**Chapter 3**_

"Whooah, we're half way there

Whooah, livin' on a prayer

Take my hand and we'll make it I swear

Whooah, livin' on a prayer" From '_**Livin' On A Prayer**_' by _**Bon Jovi**_

It was a few days after Lizzie had arrived that she had a rather unexpected awakening. She was fast asleep when suddenly there was a loud banging on her bedroom door.

"Huh?" She said, blinking sleep out of her eyes. Without waiting for a proper response the person on the other side of the door burst in. To say that Lizzie was not pleased to see them was an understatement, especially as it was 6 am and it was Kaiba, who wasn't exactly her favourite person in the world.

"Roberts, could you come through to the kitchen, it's rather urgent." He said, concern showing uncharacteristically on his face. Lizzie, however, just grunted in reply before getting out of bed and grabbing a pair of black ballet-flat style slippers. Her pyjamas consisted of a pair of white wide-legged bottoms with a black tank top with a devil holding a plate of cookies and the words 'Come to the dark side…we have cookies' written in white on it. She stormed off towards the kitchen in a manner that would have made Kaiba proud; as soon as she got there, she went straight to the kettle and, grabbing a black cup with a white skull on it, started to make herself a cup of coffee.

"Umm…Roberts, our problem is kind of urgent." Kaiba started again, hoping that she'd actually listen to him. Lizzie turned around and glared at him, with a glare that would rival his own death-glare.

"Fuck off Kaiba! At least let me have one fucking cup of coffee as I'm fucking shattered because it 6 o-fucking-clock in the fucking morning!" She snarled before finishing of making the coffee and starting to drink it. Her rant and the look on Kaiba's face when she'd finished it caused Yugi to laugh.

"Kaiba, I did _try_ to warn you. Waking Lizzie up on a morning is a dangerous thing to do, especially this early and especially without a cup of coffee. In fact, she's never civil on a morning until she's had a cup of coffee, only her cat can wake her up and survive." He explained as Lizzie drank her coffee. Once she'd finished it she sat down at the kitchen table with a sigh. Wordlessly, Yugi got up and made her another cup, as an afterthought he made one for Kaiba and himself too. Upon receiving her second cup of coffee, Lizzie gave Yugi a bright smile and took a sip.

"That's just what I needed, thanks Yug. First off, I'm sorry for swearing at you Kaiba, but Yugi's right, I'm very bad-tempered on a morning. So, what's the problem?" She said, taking another sip of coffee.

"You remember how Kaiba's holding a new duelling tournament and how I'm going to take part? Well, some journalists from the local newspaper have been writing that this tournament is just a rivalry thing between Kaiba and I and, after the other day, when you arrived, they've started saying that we're both fighting over you." Yugi explained, chewing his lip nervously.

"Is that all? Let me finish my coffee and get dressed then I'll sort out an action plan, by lunchtime, it'll all be sorted." Lizzie smiled before leaving the room clutching her cup of coffee to her.

An hour later she came back into the room, fully dressed and ready for the day. If he'd not had so much control over his emotions, Kaiba's jaw would have dropped at the sight of her. She was dressed professionally, wearing a black knee-length pencil skirt and a white shirt with capped sleeves and ruffles on the front. On her feet were a pair of black and white stiletto heeled Mary-Jane shoes, adding 4 ½ inches to her height, making her around Kaiba's own height. Her makeup was exactly the same as she'd worn before but this time it added to the professional look, although it did make her look slightly like a pin-up girl. She was wearing black rectangular glasses which suited her face and contrasted nicely with her pale face. Around her neck was a small silver chain that Kaiba assumed had a pendant of some kind on but it wasn't visible as it was underneath her clothes. She had some black crystal bracelets on her right wrist that didn't move much and the black leather bracelet with it's silver Egyptian eye from before, hiding the tattoo; in her ears were a pair of simple white crystal earrings that dangled slightly. The tattoo on her calf was still visible but it just made her stand out even more. All in all, Kaiba thought she looked even nicer than she had done the day after she'd arrived.

"Right, let's get started." She smiled, pulling out a notepad and a pen.

It was several hours later that Lizzie walked confidently into the Newspaper building carrying a black leather briefcase with Kaiba and Yugi walking after her. There was music playing over the PA system, obviously to keep whoever was waiting in the foyer from getting too bored. As they entered, 'She's a Lady' by Tom Jones started up and Lizzie sashayed over to the reception desk in time to the music, causing the eyes of every guy in the room to follow her movements. The tanned and blonde woman behind the reception desk was sat admiring her false nails and didn't look up for several moments, something that annoyed Lizzie as the woman obviously wasn't doing the job she was being paid for. And clearly she was being paid far more than was normal as not only did the woman have an expensive manicure and an expensive cut and colour but she was wearing a necklace, earrings and bracelet from Tiffany's which doesn't come cheap, also she was wearing an $850 ring from Barneys which one of Lizzie's friends in the UK had said that she liked but was too expensive. She was also wearing a pink tailored dress with a black belt and a wide collar in a slightly nautical theme; she was also wearing a pair of 5 ½ inch stiletto heels in the same shade of pink as her dress with massive bows on the front. They stood there for 5 minutes waiting for her to notice them, Lizzie started tapping her foot impatiently and, eventually, she cleared her throat to get the receptionist's attention. She looked up at Lizzie with a bored look on her face.

"If you're here for a job, Mr Misuko isn't hiring anyone at the moment." She said in a very nasal voice. She then went back to studying her nails with her palm facing Lizzie, Yugi and Kaiba; her palms were bright orange, just like her skin, showing that her tan was out of a bottle. All in all she looked ridiculous, especially as she was wearing three different pairs of false eyelashes!

"Is Mr Misuko the editor?" Lizzie asked, refusing to be ignored. The woman sighed.

"Yes, he's one of the editors here." She sneered at Lizzie, obviously disliking Lizzie's better sense of style (or at least, that was Kaiba's opinion).

"Good, Mr. Motou, Mr. Kaiba and I would like to see him immediately please." Lizzie responded, her face not showing any hint as to the reason. It was this statement that caused the woman to realise just who was stood in front of her.

It was a matter of moments before Mr. Misuko agreed to see them. The receptionist directed them to the elevator but couldn't stop herself from flirting with both Kaiba and Yugi, not that they were impressed. Mr. Misuko's office wasn't hard to find and, within a couple of minutes they were sat in his office.

"What can I do four you all?" He asked after offering them a coffee which Yugi and Lizzie declined but Kaiba accepted.

"Mr Motou and Mr Kaiba are here to discuss a potential libel case against your paper due to defamatory comments that have been made by one particular journalist about them. Also, due to a more recent article, I myself am considering taking legal action because of the defamatory nature of my portrayal in said article." Lizzie explained before pulling out copies of the offending articles. As Mr. Misuko looked through them, his face became more and more serious, finally he looked back towards Lizzie, Yugi and Kaiba.

"Firstly, I would like to apologise to you. This isn't the first time that this journalist has done something like this. Secondly I would like to assure you that I will take this very seriously. Please, tell me what you'd like me to do as reparations." He said gravely.

"Well, we'd like for the paper to publish a retraction of the statements made, an apology from the journalist and the editor in charge on the days, because you seem far too sensible to have let that sort of rubbish be printed. We'd also like the journalist fired, especially as you say that this isn't the first time that he's done something like this." Lizzie explained calmly.

"Well, the retraction will be in tomorrow morning's edition so we have time to write a proper one and firing the journalist won't be too hard, I was considering it anyway. The only difficulties we might have in fulfilling your requests is that I doubt that the journalist and my co-editor will want to apologise. Still, I'm good friends with the owner so I can always persuade him to fire my co-editor if he refuses." Mr. Misuko replied musingly.

"I think we'd all appreciate that, you might want to look into your receptionist, I think she's being paid far too much for the tiny amount of work she does. She seems to be too preoccupied with checking her nails to actually do her job, we were stood waiting for about 5 minutes for her to actually notice us, even then she only noticed we were there when I cleared my throat." Lizzie said, causing Mr. Misuko's frown to deepen.

"This is not the only time this has happened, I've given her more chances than I perhaps should but my colleague always persuaded me to keep her on. I'll deal with her when we've finished the defamation business." He sighed.

It didn't take long to sort everything out, the paper's owner agreed to sacking the co-editor if he refused to apologise. Both the journalist and the co-editor were called into Mr. Misuko's office, and both refused to apologise meaning both were sacked. The next day's edition of the paper had a retraction of the defamatory statement and an official apology from the paper. All in all, Kaiba was slightly impressed by the speed and ease that Lizzie had sorted the situation (not that he would ever tell her that). Her level of professionalism wasn't something he expected, given her lively attitude. He found that she'd given him a lot to think about, not only about her and her past (the little that she had told them) but also about his own past. All she'd told them was that her step-father was an abusive tyrant towards her and that he'd once broken her wrist; Kaiba was baffled by the fact that, even with her past, she could remain a bubbly, friendly and warm person. For him, the abuse he'd suffered at the hands of Gozaburo was what had caused him to turn into the cold, unfeeling bastard that everyone knew and made it hard for him to open up to anyone. He noticed that she was fiercely protective of her family, he wondered exactly what she'd experienced to have that sort of attitude and wondered just how similar their experiences had been.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Dragon Girl**_

_So I know I said that some of my experiences have been used for this character, but I'm also making some up. _

_Also, I know that Mokuba says it wrong (you'll know which word instantly) but that's how he thinks it's spelt._

_I'd really recommend listening to the song I've quoted, just search for 'Tongue Tied - Uncut Version (With Closed Caption Lyrics)' on youtube. _

_Also, I want to say a big thanks to __**Cloisenne**__, thank you so much for your reviews, I've only just been able to read them but they really made me smile! As a thank you, this chapter is dedicated to you!_

_Anything you recognise is not mine._

_**SK**_

_**Chapter 4**_

"Why do you make me tongue tied?

(Tongue tied)

Tongue tied, whenever you are near me

(Near me)

Tongue tied (Tied tongue)

Tied tongue (Tied tongue)

Whenever you're in town

(In town)

You make me feel a clown girl" From '_**Tongue Tied**_' from '_**Red Dwarf**_' (sorry, I don't know who actually wrote them)

For the next several months nothing much really happened. Kaiba and Lizzie's battle of wits had simmered down to witty remarks, each one trying to out do the other. Kaiba spent a lot of his time organising a new Dual Monsters tournament although he always made sure to spend some time with his friends each week and with his brother every day. One hot day in June, Mokuba came rushing into his office at Kaiba Corp.

"Seto! Have you heard?" He gasped, no doubt from running.

"Heard what Mokie?" Kaiba replied, still typing, his eyes never leaving his laptop screen.

"This guy who was wanted in the UK for pidofalia or something that sounds like that and was about to be extradited there from Canada skipped bail and vanished. He's been seen in Japan and is supposed to be really dangerous!" Mokuba gabbled quickly. Kaiba looked up sharply.

'_Hmm…Note to self: make sure that someone I can trust is with Mokuba at all times._' He thought before looking at the clock.

"Shit!" He swore under his breath, he was supposed to meet Yugi and the others at a local Archery club half an hour ago. Lizzie had become a member soon after arriving in Japan and the club was having an open day to try and attract new members.

"Mokie, we've got to go. I was supposed to meet Yugi and the others half an hour ago." He said, shutting down his laptop and putting it in his briefcase. In less time than normal, the two brothers were sat in the older Kaiba brother's car, a sleek Royal blue Noble M600 and Kaiba's favourite car. Luckily there was very little traffic so they made it to the Archery club in good time.

The others were very understanding about why they were late, but Kaiba didn't have much time to dwell on that as shortly after they had arrived, Mokuba was ushered into a group of other people his own age to have a go at firing a bow and arrow with Lizzie teaching them the basics.

"Right, so the first thing you need to remember is don't point the bow and arrow at anyone else! Seriously, I mean it. Anyone I see doing that will have the equipment taken off them immediately. Right, when you are about to fire your bow, you need to hold the string in the hand you write with and have the grip firmly in the other. Notch your arrow on the string and keep it pointed at the floor as you turn to the target. Once you're facing the target you can raise the bow, take aim, draw back the string and fire!" As Lizzie said the final word she quickly spun to face the target, aimed and fired the bow. The arrow flew in a graceful arch to land quivering in the centre of the target.

"As you might have noticed, the arrow flies in an arch so you might want to take that into consideration. A final word, don't go to retrieve your arrow until everyone has fired and I say it's safe. Got that? Right, in your own time then guys." Lizzie explained before standing to one side where she could see everyone. Mokuba was the last person to fire his bow, and that was because he was trying to get his aim right. While the others had got their arrows in either the lowest scoring area of the target or in the ground, Mokuba had managed to land his arrow in the first blue ring which in a competition would be worth 5 points. Lizzie then sent everyone off to retrieve their arrows at a walk before finishing the taster session. Kaiba himself didn't have a go, he was more content to listen to Mokuba's excited pleading for him to be allowed to learn Archery. Actually Kaiba was already going to let him, mainly because Lizzie pointed out just how well Mokuba had done for a complete beginner.

It was much later, when they were back at Yugi's place eating pizza, that Kaiba remembered about the escaped criminal that Mokuba had told him about. In actuality, he only remembered because the news came on and mentioned him.

"Breaking news. Recently a man, wanted in the UK has been seen in the Tokyo area of Japan. The man, one John Michael Smith, was due to be extradited from Canada to the UK to face charges of Paedophilia and rape on a minor but he skipped bail and went on the run. If you see this man, do not approach him as he is believed to be armed and highly dangerous!" The newsreader said solemnly. Luckily Mokuba had been in the bathroom, as Kaiba couldn't help but swear under his breath at the extra details that Mokuba hadn't known. Lizzie's reaction to the news report surprised him, she had gone very pale and jumped up quickly before rushing out of the room stating that she needed to make a phone call.

When she entered the room again, Mokuba was back and everyone apart from Yugi was curious about what was going on, Yugi merely looked concerned although whether that was concern for his cousin or about what was happening, no one really knew.

"Lizzie, what's goin' on?" Joey asked when she had sat back down.

"I suppose I'd better tell you guys before you figure it out." Lizzie sighed, massaging her temples.

"John Smith is my stepfather. He's always made it pretty clear that he hates me and I'm worried that his showing up in Japan near to where I am is not a coincidence. I left the room to let my Aunt and Uncle know what had happened." She explained after a few moments pause. Everyone seemed to accept her explanation, well, everyone except Kaiba. A few things didn't add up and he had his suspicions as to the truth. After everyone else had left, Kaiba asked Lizzie if he could have a word with her. She nodded and led his to the hall that led to the bedrooms in the little flat.

"What do you want Kaiba?" Lizzie asked, folding her arms in slight irritation.

"I wanted to ask you about your reaction to that news report earlier." He replied, crossing his own arms but looking intently at her.

"What? I already told you, he's may stepfather and he hates me!" Lizzie stuttered slightly, looking surprised and nervous.

"That's not the full truth is it? Why would he want to come here just because he hates you?" Kaiba asked carefully, keeping an eye on her reactions.

"Maybe he saw an article about me coming here, there were certainly enough journalists at the airport when I arrived, and wanted to try and ruin my success." Lizzie replied, looking left. It was then that Kaiba knew he had her. Not many people knew that he was an avid viewer of the CSI programmes, and in one of them it had explained that when people are remembering something, they look right but when they are making something up they look left.

"Again, that's not the full truth is it? I have a theory of my own about why he's in Japan, shall I tell you it?" He asked with a smirk. Wordlessly Lizzie nodded, knowing that she wouldn't be able to avoid it.

"I think he did far more to you than you've actually told everyone here. In fact, I think you're the victim of some quite horrific things. Am I right?" He asked, carefully watching her again. Her response surprised him. She nodded and burst into tears before sinking to the floor and sobbing. Acting on instinct, he went over to her and gently took her in his arms, holding her as she sobbed hysterically. Yugi poked his head around the door of the hall. Seeing the situation and guessing what had happened, he left them alone to distract Mokuba with the Nintendo Wii. Lizzie didn't notice that at all, however, she was too busy crying into Kaiba's chest to realise what was going on around her. After a few moments he started to gently stroke her hair and rock her back and forth slightly. What surprised him was how soft and silky her hair was, sure he'd known it looked shiny but it had never occurred to him that it felt how it did. She calmed down slightly but was still almost hysterical. When it seemed like his current actions were having no more effect on her state, he decided to try something that he had always done when Mokuba had had a nightmare.

"Shhh…it's alright. It's alright, you're safe. Nothing's going to harm you." He whispered in her ear. That was what brought Lizzie out of her almost manic state, Kaiba's deep voice speaking softly to her, sounding almost melodic as he tried to calm her. Before too long she had calmed herself down and only had a few tears left.

"You know you don't have to tell me any details, I won't pry into what happened fully. I probably shouldn't have pried as much as I already have." Kaiba said before Lizzie could say anything.

"Thank you." She whispered, closing her eyes as Kaiba continued to hold her, almost sensing that she needed the comfort. Before too long, her breathing deepened and evened out, signalling that she'd fallen asleep. Slowly and carefully, so as not to wake her, he brought her closer to his chest and picked her up before standing up. He then carried her to her bedroom where he laid her down on the bed and covered her over with her duvet. Without knowing why, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving the room. As he entered the living room, Yugi looked up at him.

"Is she?" He asked.

"Asleep? Yes." Kaiba nodded. At that moment, Mokuba yawned loudly bringing Kaiba's attention back to him. Both brothers left Yugi to look after his cousin when she woke up and went home to get some sleep.


End file.
